


A Wound So Deep

by Gwendal_Wincott



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reincarnation, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Self-Harm, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2020-10-27 11:43:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20759807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwendal_Wincott/pseuds/Gwendal_Wincott
Summary: Three year old Harry stared at the toys surrounding him and let out a delightful giggle. He picked up Magus, his snake plushie and hugged it to his chest. He couldn’t wait for mummy to get back from work and play with him. He loved when his mummy and Padfoot played with him.When Harry laid down for a short nap, he dreamt of a tall, dark haired, handsome man laying a chaste kiss on another young man’s cheek. The young man looked very much like Harry would once he grew up.When Harry woke up, he couldn’t understand why he wanted to cry so badly.





	1. Chapter 1

Three year old Harry stared at the toys surrounding him and let out a delightful giggle. He picked up Magus, his snake plushie and laid a big wet kiss on its head. He gently set it down on his lap then did the same to Godfrey, his lion plushie, Snuffles, his puppy, and Raven, his eagle. He again picked up his snake plushie and hugged it to his chest. He couldn’t wait for mummy to get back from work and play with him. He loved when his mummy and Padfoot played with him. His daddy was usually very busy because of his work but whenever he found the time, he played with him too.

Harry liked playing with all of his family. His daddy, mummy, Sirius, Remus, Sevy, Reggie, grandma Walburga and grandpa Orion.

Harry wondered sometimes, though why grandma Walburga and grandpa Orion started crying when they were with him. He didn’t like it when they cried, he didn’t like it at all. It really hurt him. He loved Padfoot’s mummy and daddy very much. It was as if they were friends, they shouldn’t cry at all.

Harry shook his head. No, he will not think like that. He is going to make sure granny Walburga and grandpa Orion don’t shed a single tear again.

With that thought in mind, Harry let out a soft yawn and laid down on his bed for a short nap. His mummy will wake him up when she was back. Then maybe they’ll watch some TV, Harry loved watching TV in his daddy’s lap.

That afternoon, Harry dreamt of a tall, dark haired, handsome man laying a chaste kiss on another young man’s cheek. The young man looked very much like Harry would once he grew up.

When Harry woke up, he couldn’t understand why he wanted to cry so badly. He didn’t know why his heart was hurting so much, he wanted to scratch himself, he wanted to hurt—

* * *

Lily and Sirius threw open the door of Harry’s room and their eyes widened in terror when they saw Harry crying his eyes out in the middle of his bed, his toys strewn across the floor, photographs which had been adorning the walls of the room lying broken on the floor.

“Harry!” Lily rushed to her son but was thrown back by an invisible shield surrounding the bed. Sirius caught his sister in law who had covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

Harry wasn’t stopping, his green eyes had turned red from crying for so long.

“Lily. Stay here.” Sirius squeezed Lily’s shoulders and took a careful step towards the bed. Thankfully, the shield which had stopped Lily seemed to have vanished and he was able to reach Harry. He carefully gathered the child in his arms and went back to Lily.

Harry didn’t stop. He kept on rubbing his eyes and sniffling in Sirius’s shoulders. Even when Sirius handed his godson to Lily, Harry continued to cry softly in her arms.

“Shh, Harry, shh. It’s alright. It’s alright,” Lily murmured and caressed her son’s hair. She caught Sirius’s eyes who shook his head. She let out a sigh of relief. Harry wasn’t injured or hurt in anyway.

Then why was he crying?

Harry stopped crying after an hour. Sirius and Lily told everything to James who immediately left everything at his office and rushed back home.

That night, Harry slept between his mummy and daddy but he couldn’t find it in himself to feel happy about it. He wanted— he just wanted—

Harry fell asleep with tears trickling down his cheeks.

James and Lily shared a worried glance the next morning when they saw remnants of tears on their son’s face.

“Should we take him to a healer?” Lily asked, worry evident in her tone.

James shook his head. “Let’s see if it happens again.”

Nothing happened to Harry for a year and a half.

* * *

This time when Harry started crying, Walburga and Orion were present too. The Potters had gone to stay at Black’s house for the summer since Harry loved playing with Orion and Walburga.

“Merlin! Harry.” Sirius said wearily. “Sometimes I think you love my parents more than me.”

Harry blushed and buried his face in grandma Walburga’s shoulder. Lily and James glanced at each other, happy that Harry hadn’t had an episode like that again.

Regulus let out a snort. “Don’t be so jealous, Siri, it doesn’t suit you.” He turned to his brother in law who was watching his husband with a fond expression on his face. “I can’t believe you actually married this idiot, Remus.”

Remus chuckled. “Well, he has some good points.”

Sirius glared daggers at Remus. “Excuse you, I have many good points.”

Orion shook his head fondly. “Sirius, just drop it.” He turned to Walburga and Harry and smirked at the little Potter. “Where is my good night kiss, Harry? You’ve been awfully attached to Walburga today.”

Walburga rolled her eyes and tightened her hold on Harry. “You dare question your sons when you yourself are like this?”

Orion arched a brow at his wife who sighed and loosened her hold on Harry and let him run to her husband. “Fine, fine.”

Harry just giggled before kissing Orion’s cheek and running off towards the TV room. The adults smiled at Harry’s retreating figure, content in the knowledge that Harry was alright.

A week later, Harry again started crying and this time no one could reach him.

James and Lily let out a whimper when Harry scratched his cheeks and continued to bawl his eyes out, it was as if he was being tortured.

“Why can’t we get past? Damn it!” Sirius growled as he again tried to reach Harry and was unable to. He clenched his hands into fists as he saw Harry’s chest rising and falling at rapid speed because of his continued sobbing.

It was clear Harry was having trouble breathing.

“We have to summon a healer,” Orion said in a hard voice. He glanced at Regulus who nodded and both he and Remus rushed from the room to go to St Mungos.

“Why? Why?” Lily clutched her hair in frustration as Harry continued to sob on the bed. She felt Walburga’s arms around her and buried her face in the woman’s chest and started crying too. What was wrong with Harry? What has happened to her child?

Sirius firmly grasped James’s shoulder who turned to look at him with glazed eyes. Sirius suppressed a wince at seeing his cousin and best friend’s state. This wasn’t the time for tears.

“Snap out of it, James! We have to help Harry.” He tightened his hold on James shoulder. “Come on, one more try.”

Harry’s name cut through the haze which had clouded James mind. His eyes lost the dazed look and both he and Sirius started throwing whatever spells they could think of to break the fucking shield surrounding the bed and Harry. Orion, who had been standing and watching the two young men, shifted his gaze to Harry and stiffened when he saw Harry tracing something on his arm.

The same face, same eyes, same hair, doing the same thing _he_ had.

“James, Sirius,” Orion interrupted the two who immediately turned to him. “Just close your mind to everything, then try to go near.” James and Sirius looked bewildered by his words but nodded nonetheless. Orion glanced at his wife who was still trying to console Lily. It seemed she hadn't noticed anything.

This time when James and Sirius tried to get near the bed, they succeeded.

Lily whipped her head as soon as she heard something in the air shift. She shared a glance with Walburga and the two of them rushed to the bed with Orion on their heels.

Harry, whose sobs had quieted down was now murmuring something.

James and Lily let out a strangled sound as they saw the tear filled eyes of their son, red–pink marks marring the smooth, pale skin of his face and arms.

“Shh, quiet, you two,” Orion pointed at Harry who was still muttering something.

James and Lily quietened immediately and both leaned forward to hear what their son was saying. They saw how sad Harry looked and their hearts broke at seeing the utter misery and devastation in their son’s emerald eyes.

“Sorry–sorry–Tom—”

“Tom?” James and Lily repeated stupidly, completely unaware of how the name made Orion and Walburga stiffen.

Sirius furrowed his brows in confusion. “Tom? Who is Tom?”

Orion turned to Walburga and wasn’t shocked to see the same fear reflected in her eyes. The two turned back to Harry who had again started crying loudly. But this time, even they could hear the soft voice uttering that name.

“I –am–” Harry sniffled and fresh batch of tears slid down his cheeks. “Tom – I – I – am sorry—”

Orion shut his eyes tightly and clenched his hands into fists as he heard that. It was the feel of Walburga’s shaking hand on his shoulder that stopped him from fleeing the room. His wife shook her head at him, even if Orion could see tears shining in her eyes.

“Who is Tom?” James whispered hoarsely. “Who is Tom? Why is Harry apologizing to him?”

Before anyone could answer James question, Harry’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped down on the bed, unconscious again. 

That was the moment the two healers came in with Remus and Regulus.

The two healers checked Harry and shared a glance with each other before nodding. James, Lily and Sirius told the two what Harry had muttered between his sobs which made the healers frown.

“Does he have an imaginary friend?” Aindreas asked Lily. “Children do that you know, make friends in their made up world.”

Lily shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

Orion grimaced and Walburga clenched her hands. They didn’t even know if they were right. Yes, the resemblance was uncanny, it had made them cry many times when they’d been with Harry.

But how could it be?

“Well, whatever the case maybe,” Michiel glanced at his partner who nodded. He turned back to Lily and James and took a deep breath before continuing. “Your son is getting weak. He is in perfect health, physically nothing is wrong with him but we just can’t understand the reason behind his weakness.”

James closed his eyes as he heard the two healers. No–no. No. This wasn’t true. This can’t be true. This wasn’t happening.

Lily started crying and Remus immediately gathered her in his arms. He glanced at James who was gazing at the wall blankly. Remus didn't think he had ever felt so helpless.

“You can give him these potions, maybe nothing is wrong and we are jumping to wrong conclusions,” Aindreas handed a slip of parchment to James who nodded as if in a daze. “Just call on any healer if it happens again.”

Regulus nodded and showed the two wizards out.

Except for Lily and James, everyone left the room. The two had settled themselves beside Harry who was now sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling softly, little tufts of air leaving his parted lips.

If it weren’t for the healing cream shining on his wounds, Harry would’ve been in perfect health.

“James.”

James wearily turned to Lily who was looking at their son with a blank look. “What?”

“We must get every healer to look at him. I don’t care what we have to do, I just want him to be okay.”

James nodded. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to be full of feels, that's all I can say. 
> 
> Thanks for reading !


	2. Chapter 2

Orion wanted to throw the glass in his hand at something but he knew it wouldn’t change a thing.

“Do you really think it’s our Harry, Orion?” Walburga asked softly. "Tom’s Harry?"

Orion let out a bitter chuckle and threw the glass on the wall in front of him, making Walburga wince when it shattered. 

“You know as well as I do that—” Orion’s voice broke. Merlin, they’d tried to control themselves for so long, tried to unsee the truth that had been there in front of them for years, but now.

They could not deny it any longer.

“Our Harry Potter is Harry Deforest Riddle.”

“What should we do?” Walburga finally asked.

Orion ran a hand through his hair and resisted the urge to curse someone. “What can we do? Riddle—” Orion closed his eyes. “Lord Slytherin’s whereabouts are unknown to everyone, Walburga, you know that. He completely cut himself off from us, Alphard, Lestrange and Avery after Harry’s death. He only shows himself to the public eye on a whim.” He sighed. “We don’t even know if he can help Harry.”

“We have to try.” Walburga recalled James and Lily’s devastated expression and clenched her hands into fists. “We have to, Orion.”

Orion nodded tiredly at his wife. “Yeah. We have to.”

* * *

Harry, as always, didn’t remember why he had been crying. All he knew was that there was an agonizing pain in his heart. It hurt so much that he couldn’t help but cry.

“I don’t know, mum,” Harry bit his bottom lip, “I just know that-that—” Harry lifted his head to look at his family and smiled sadly. “It just hurts mother.” Harry uttered the next words very softly. “My heart hurts.”

Harry blinked back tears and Orion and Walburga’s heart shattered as they saw that. No, they had to tell everyone the truth. Their Harry was suffering. He was going through the same pain Riddle must have gone through all these years.

Lily choked back a sob at Harry’s words while James closed his eyes. James didn’t think he had ever felt so worthless than he did at the moment. What kind of father he was anyway if he couldn’t even help his own child.

He just didn’t understand what was happening to Harry. Why was he talking like that? What had hurt his son so much that he was saying things like these?

Sirius tugged Harry to him and caressed his head, hoping the gesture would sooth him. He looked at the people in the room and again wondered how it had come to this.

Sirius knew he had never seen such agony on James’s face. James looked ready to hurt himself for the pain Harry was going through. Lily had buried her face in Remus’s neck and was quietly sobbing. She was as helpless as any of them. She didn’t know how to help Harry.

Sirius looked at the person standing beside his brother and closed his eyes when he saw the pain on the potions master face. Sirius didn’t think he had seen such a devastated expression on Snape’s face before. The same pain, Sirius was sure, was there on his face too.

Severus liked to pretend Harry was a little trouble maker, that he was bothered by Harry’s constant need for playing in the garden with him but they all knew how much the sarcastic man adored Harry. Severus had come immediately when he had heard Harry was in danger. It had only taken one patronus message from Regulus, and Snape was at their house within an hour.

James and Severus had contacted every healer and potions expert there was, even Horace Slughorn. Their former teacher had come immediately when he'd heard Lily and James son was unwell.

Sadly, they’d all given the same answer. Harry was fine, he was physically absolutely fine. None of them could figure out why he was feeling so sad or why he had random bursts of crying.

None of them could understand why Harry was getting weak. In the three months that had gone by, Harry had an attack every two weeks.

That night after Harry went to sleep, Orion called James, Lily, Remus, Regulus and Severus to the lounge where he and Walburga were sitting.

James took one glance at the man who had become his father too after his parent’s death and knew something was terribly wrong. “What is it? What has happened?”

Orion sighed. There was no point in stalling. They’d already delayed this enough. “Do you remember the name Harry screams and apologises to again and again?”

The six nodded, not understanding why Orion was bringing that up. That was just another thing they didn’t have an answer to. They had no idea who Tom was to Harry. They didn't know any Tom and all of them were sure Harry had no imaginary friends.

Orion glanced at Walburga who nodded at him. “Maybe if we all try to find him, Harry might get better.”

“Who?” Lily asked in a frantic tone. “Who? Who can help Harry?”

“Lord Slytherin.”

The six’s face turned blank at the mention of the Slytherin heir.

“Tom Riddle, you mean,” Severus asked his friends’ parents in a carefully, controlled voice.

Orion nodded slowly in answer. He looked at the six’s expression and knew why they suddenly looked as if they had lost all hope.

Tom Riddle, the unearthly beautiful 24 year old was basically a prince of the wizarding world because of his ancestry. The immortal man had once appeared in the Wizengamot to state his claim which had told the whole wizarding world he was the heir of Slytherin, the last member of the Gaunt family. He was the only parselmouth in the world and could thus control the thousand year old basilisk, the fabled monster of the Chamber of Secrets, Salazar Slytherin’s prized familiar.

The man was the most brilliant student Hogwarts had ever seen and was known throughout the wizarding world for his incredible command on magic, his looks and his ice cold personality.

No one knew where the man lived or where he was at any point of time since Tom Riddle had cut ties with everyone long ago.

Tom Riddle didn’t socialize in the slightest and when he made an appearance at a ministry function once every five years, it was just for show. To instill in witches and wizards that there will always be someone better than them out there and that no matter what they did, they could never be as great as him.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was the greatest sorcerer in the world.

What the wizarding world didn’t know was that Tom was also a widower. His bonded husband had died the same day Grindelwald was killed by an unknown wizard.

“How do you know its Tom Riddle Harry is apologizing to father?” Regulus asked his parents after a while. No one wanted to say anything after hearing who could help Harry. The man’s whereabouts, residence; everything apart from his ancestry and skills was unknown.

Orion shared a look with his wife before pushing a bunch of photographs towards the six.

James and Lily were the first to break out of their daze and turned the first photo over to see what Orion meant.

Sirius and Remus sucked in a breath as they saw the two people in the moving, coloured photograph. Severus and Regulus’s eyes widened as they saw the young boy of seventeen standing arm in arm with Tom Riddle, who for once wasn’t glaring daggers at anyone. Both the boys looked incredibly happy.

James closed his eyes as he saw the boy standing beside the tall form of Tom Riddle. Was his Harry Tom Riddle’s bonded? Harry would look exactly like the boy in the photograph once he grew up. Same messy black hair, same nose, same green eyes.

Lily let a few tears slip from her eyes as she saw her son’s mirror image standing beside Tom Riddle.

“Who is he?” Sirius asked softly.

Walburga smiled sadly as she answered Sirius’s question.

“That’s Harry Deforest. He was at—” she paused for a minute, feeling the familiar ache in her chest at the thought of her friend. “At school with us. He and Tom became friends the moment they stepped inside Hogwarts.” She chuckled. “Harry loved Tom even if other Slytherins gave him a wide berth because of his father’s name. But not Harry.”

She glanced at Orion who nodded and took off from where she’d left off. “They only became closer as years passed and before long, they were dating. Tom married Harry when he was twenty and Harry eighteen. Walburga and I—”

He lifted his head to look at the six who seemed to be in a state of shock. They’d never heard Orion or Walburga mention these people before. “We talked to them first when we were in our fourth year and they in third. We got along very well and before we knew, we were the best of friends.” Orion paused for a minute before continuing. “We were there for their bonding ceremony, Alphard, I and Walburga, which had happened in France since that was where Harry’s father was from. Harry’s parents had died when he was nine years old, so he’d lived with his mother’s muggle family in England.”

“What happened to Deforest?” James asked quietly.

Orion smiled sadly. “He died. With many others on the day Gellert Grindelwald was killed.”

James and Lily let few tears slip from their eyes, realizing what this meant. This was why Harry kept on apologising to Tom. It also explained why Harry loved Orion and Walburga so much. They’d been his friends. Alphard had died when Harry was two years old but even he’d loved Harry like he was his own. It made complete sense why they were so close to each other.

“The last we saw Tom was when he came to tell us that Harry was dead, and that he was leaving.” Walburga suppressed a flinch as she recalled the inhuman glint in Tom’s dark grey eyes. “We never saw Tom after that. The next time we saw Tom was when he told the world about his heritage and freed the basilisk from its confinement at Hogwarts and disappeared with him.”

No one spoke for a while, they didn't know what they could say after hearing that about Harry.

It was Severus who broke the silence this time.

“How do we find him?” Severus asked the elder Blacks. He turned to his best friend and gripped her shoulder firmly. Lily turned to face Severus with a hopeless look on her eyes, knowing full well there was no way to save Harry.

Severus shook his head. “No, Lily. We have to be strong. We can do it. We will do our best to help Harry.” Lily looked at her best friend for a full minute before wiping her cheeks and nodding. Severus was right, she can’t lose hope. They had to try. “Yes, yes.”

Severus turned back to Orion and Walburga who were looking at him with amazement in their eyes. “We can do it, right?”

Regulus clapped Severus on the back. “Yes, we can! All we need to do is follow his footsteps.”

Sirius tugged James to him and kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry, James. We’ll do everything in our power to find Riddle. If he is the one who can make Harry better, then we’ll find him, no matter what.”

James nodded at his friend and finally smiled when Remus squeezed his hand. “We’ll do it, James, don’t worry.”

“This actually makes a lot of sense,” Lily said, a grin coming onto her face. She looked at others and started laughing. “No wonder Harry loved that snake plushie so much. His soul bonded was the heir of Slytherin himself.”

Sirius smiled as he recalled Harry’s bias towards the stuff toy. Harry had been a nightmare to deal with when the Kreacher had taken it for cleaning one day. He shook his head and turned to his parents, at least now they had something they can work with.

Orion and Walburga told the six about the places Tom and Harry had talked about going. Both the Blacks knew that it wasn’t much to go, but it was something and will give them a starting point for their investigation.

James, Lily and Severus opted to search the libraries of the magical world while Sirius, Regulus and Remus went to the places Tom Riddle had visited or would have liked to go.

Orion and Walburga stayed with Harry who was sometimes very happy, sometimes extremely sad. Sometimes the two saw Harry gazing out of the window, oblivious to the tears trailing down his own cheeks. Harry only realised what he’d been doing when Walburga gently wiped his cheeks and kissed his head.

Neither Orion nor Walburga knew how to help the little tyke they’d seen take his first breath in the world. All they could do was keep him safe and happy to the best of their abilities.

The six tried. They did everything they could; raided every library about the hidden secrets of Slytherin, searched every scroll out there which would tell them where the fabled residence of Salazar Slytherin was. Asked about Tom Riddle at the places the man had liked going with Harry.

Sadly, all they got were clues and whispers.

The only sold information Sirius’s group had gotten was that the man had been in Albania for a month at one point of time, the longest time he had stayed at a place.

Harry was physically still fine but he got tired very easily and slept most of the time if he wasn’t having an attack.

* * *

When Harry turned nine, he said something he hadn’t ever said before. Coincidentally, everyone was staying at Potter manor so they all got to witness what Harry said.

The three Marauders and Severus were going over the many books and scrolls while Orion was sitting with Walburga and Lily. Orion smiled gently at Harry when he saw the child come in their direction.

“Mum.”

“Yes, dear?” Lily looked up from the scroll she was reading.

Harry bit his lip then looked at his mother with tear filled eyes.

“Tell Tom I am sorry, mum,” Harry’s bottom lip quivered and Lily gathered her son in his arms as Harry started crying again.

All activity stilled in the room at Harry’s words. “I–I am sorry. I –I didn’t want to leave him.”

James and Regulus closed their eyes as they heard that. Was it even possible for someone to care for another that much?

“I know, Harry. I know,” Lily soothed. “Your Tom knows too. He’ll be here soon.”


	3. Chapter 3

“A ministry ball is coming up.” Regulus announced as he stepped inside the lounge.

All the people in the room stopped what they were doing as soon as Regulus’s words registered in their minds.

Four years had gone by and still they hadn’t found a trace of Tom Marvolo Riddle anywhere. No matter what they did, how hard they tried, their efforts were in vain.

This was their only chance to speak to the man directly.

“We have to hope he’ll come to it to submit the spells he has created.” Regulus sighed as he sat down on the empty couch.

“That’s all we can do, isn’t it, hope.” Orion said tiredly. He glanced at the empty spot beside Sirius, wondering where Harry was. Was he in the gardens, or in his room, reading one of his fantasy books?

Harry was quite happy these days, which was a relief to all of them. He watched the TV, practiced light spells which wouldn’t put a strain on him and went and did his gardening. He hadn’t cried for a whole month. There were days when he didn’t talk to anyone, just stared at the sky, but he hadn’t shed a single tear.

“We’ll all go,” James said, his voice bringing Orion out of his thoughts.

“Of course, if this is the only way to get Riddle to come—” Severus smirked at James who smirked right back. “We’ll do everything in our power to get him here.” James finished.

“But then who will stay with Harry?” Sirius asked, a frown marring his features. “We can’t leave him alone, James.”

Regulus raised his hand. “I’ll stay with Harry. You all go on and make preparations.” He sighed. “I sincerely hope you’ll find Riddle there.”

“We hope so too,” Lily and Remus said in unison.

* * *

Tom Riddle was present at the ball.

The devastatingly handsome, dark-haired man was sitting at a table alone, drinking his wine and looking at everyone as if they were less than the dirt beneath his shoes.

“Of course, he is arrogant,” Severus muttered. “The man is known for creating spells no one can reproduce. Some even said why bother submitting them when the rest of us can’t even perform them.”

James nodded. “Uh-huh. And do you see the way people look like they want to speak to him but know better and are keeping their distance.”

“We can see that,” Lily and Sirius said in unison.

Remus glanced at his in laws and was astonished to see so much emotion shining in their eyes. Remus tapped Sirius’s shoulder who turned to look at what Remus was pointing at. His eyes widened slightly before he nodded.

“Dad—”

Orion and Walburga snapped out of their reverie and shook their heads. No, they had a job to do and they will do it for Harry.

“Right.” Orion said before taking his wife’s hand and walking in the direction of Tom’s table.

Tom quirked a brow as he saw Orion and Walburga coming towards him. Why were Orion and Walburga approaching him now? He’d made his intentions perfectly clear to them that horrifying day. And his friends had heeded his wishes and left him alone all these years.

“Tom.” Orion sad in greeting. He made sure to keep the surprise out of his voice. He’d heard his friend’s eye colour had changed but it was still baffling to see wine red eyes staring back at him instead of dark grey.

“Orion,” Tom replied, his voice low and soft. “What brings you and your wife here?”

“Something has happened, Tom,” Walburga came straight to the point. Tom didn’t take kindly to beating around the bush. “We need you to come with us.”

Tom’s brows rose at Walburga’s request. “Really? And, pray tell, what has happened?”

Orion hesitatingly glanced back at the spot where the rest of his family was standing. Tom followed his gaze and a cold shiver went down his spine when he saw the man with messy hair and glasses standing with few others.

What kind of game were Orion and Walburga playing? Did they think he was stupid enough to confuse his Harry for some idiot who resembled him?!

“Orion,” Tom felt a vicious sense of satisfaction go through him as both the Blacks flinched at his cold tone. “Who is that man?”

Orion closed his eyes for a minute before opening them and looking at Tom with resolve, his hands clenched tightly. He can’t let Tom’s tone deter him from his path.

“Tom. Please. You need to listen to me. Something bad will happen if you don’t. Please! You have to come with us!”

Tom let out a musical laugh which did nothing but increase the two Blacks fear. “The only person I cared about in this world died in front of me, Orion.” Tom paused before whispering the next words. “Nothing can be worse than that.”

Orion and Walburga shivered at Tom’s dead tone.

Tom got up to leave. He had no intention of indulging the Blacks. A part of him felt he should listen to his former friends but a bigger part wanted to go back to Slytherin Manor and just sit on the shores of Loch Léin with Magus by his side.

Before Tom could take a step forward to leave, two hands grasped his arm and stopped him. He whipped his head to curse the ones who had the audacity to touch him but stopped as he noticed who held his arm in a death grip. It was the same man from before.

“How dare you?” Tom hissed at the glasses wearing man and the woman beside him. He noticed they were attracting the attention of everyone and couldn’t help but feel angry. “If you don’t want to die, unhand me at once.”

“Harry is in danger,” James blurted out. He saw how Tom’s eyes widened for a minute before narrowing into slits.

“How dare you speak that name?!”

Tom wrenched his hand back and turned to leave. How dare they utter Harry’s name? He was about to disapparate right there when he heard something that froze him in his place. All breath left him and an icy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as those words reverberated in his mind.

“Your bonded will die again if you don’t do something,” Sirius and Lily said again, in a last ditch attempt to stop Riddle from leaving.

Tom slowly turned back and finally took notice of the man who looked like he was Orion’s son, a sandy blonde haired man and a dark haired man who was standing beside the red headed woman.

“What?” he whispered, his voice colder than ice.

Tom glared daggers at Orion’s son and the woman, he was sure they were the ones who had uttered those vile words. If it was possible, the two would have turned to dust right away by the way Tom was looking at them. There was nothing but utter loathing and hatred in his eyes.

Orion and Walburga stepped forward then, knowing Tom’s anger too well. “Just listen to us. Please! Tom!”

Tom had had enough, he tried to use legilimency on them but his eyes widened in shock when he could not penetrate any of their shields. He swept his gaze over the small crowd in front of him. 

What were they hiding from him? Why had the sought him out, after all this time? Why had they mentioned his lovely Harry?

“Alright.” Tom muttered softly, he noticed how they all sighed in relief at his answer. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Tom flinched as he saw the photograph of Harry Potter, standing between his parents, James Potter and Lily Potter. He staggered where he stood, his body unable to handle the onslaught of emotions. if it weren’t for Orion and Walburga’s hand on his shoulder, he was sure would have fallen to the ground because of what he’d just seen.

That was his Harry. His love, his life, his heart.

How was this possible?

Harry had died that day. His beautiful, wonderful, kind, sweet Harry had died that wretched day, leaving him all alone in the world.

A voice spoke in his head then. A voice which he had always silenced when it got too much for him to bear.

Hadn’t a part of him always hoped that Harry would come back to him? Wasn’t that the reason he had become immortal, hoping against hope that his dead husband will find a way to come back to him.

And this time, nothing would tear them apart, he would make sure of that.

“Tell me everything.” Tom murmured, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Tom ran a hand through his hair as his friends, Harry’s parents and their friends finished telling him everything. They’d even shown him the memories and he knew without a doubt that it was Harry. His Harry had looked just as adorable when he was a child too. He still had those albums at his manor. They and Harry’s memories had what kept him alive all this time.

What he couldn’t comprehend was the reason behind Harry’s weak health. Why was Harry getting weak?

“I want to see him.” Tom looked at Harry’s parents who nodded immediately. “Of course.” James said, rising from the couch with Lily.

Tom hesitated for a moment before opening the door. What if it wasn’t Harry? What if this was all a misunderstanding?

No. That wasn’t the case. He knew it was Harry, his Harry.

Tom inhaled deeply before opening the door and stepping inside the room.

Harry immediately turned to see who had come to visit him. He wasn’t allowed to go outside and play much because of his condition. But he didn’t mind since he was very happy with his family. He also had his TV, his games, his books, his friends, the birds in the garden which always came and sat on his shoulder and the lamb his father had gotten for him.

Harry felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the beautiful man standing on the doorstep. Harry wondered why he felt like crying and laughing at the same time.

And why did he feel that he knew this man, that he loved him more than anyone else in this entire world.

“Harry?”

Harry felt tears gather in his eyes as he heard that soft voice. He knew that voice! He loved that voice!

Harry wasn’t even conscious of getting up and running to the tall, dark haired man standing in the doorway. His parents had advised him not to run but Harry needed to be with this man. This man was his everything. Harry couldn’t not run!

Harry closed the distance between him and Tom and felt as if the whole world had shifted on its axis as soon as soon as he wrapped his hands around Tom’s waist. He felt calm, content, complete; ecstatic! It was as if their very souls had found each other after a long time.

After Harry was satisfied, he leaned back from the embrace to look up at Tom. Tom seemed to have frozen in shock. Harry still didn’t know how he knew this man or that his name was Tom. All he knew was that this beautiful, tall, dark haired man was his.

Harry started crying again but this time his heart didn’t hurt. These were tears of joy! Tom was back! He had Tom back with him, they were together again!

Tom snapped out of his dazed state when Harry’s sobs cut through the haze that had taken over his mind. He got down on one knee to wipe the tears trailing down Harry’s cheeks.

“No, no, Harry,” Tom shook his head and gently wiped the tears from Harry’s cheeks. “Shh, it’s alright. You don’t need to cry anymore.”

Harry only cried harder and wound his arms around Tom’s neck. “I—I missed you—so much —Tom,” Harry sniffled in Tom’s neck, completely unaware of his family standing behind Tom and watching everything.

Tom hesitated for a moment before caressing the child’s head. “I missed you too, Harry. I missed you—” his voice broke, familiar pain flaring in his heart, “so much.”

After a while, Harry stopped crying and leant back from the embrace. He wiped the remnants of tears from his face before locking his gaze with Tom once more. Happiness bubbled in his chest as he took in Tom’s features. God, he was so happy to see Tom again! He couldn't help but grin widely.

Tom returned Harry’s grin before gently grasping Harry’s arm and turning it over. His eyes trailed over the faint marks which were still present on Harry’s skin and tears gathered in his eyes as he recalled how Harry had gotten them. Harry had hurt himself.

“Why, Harry?” Tom asked softly, lifting his head to look at Harry. “Why did you hurt yourself?”

Harry just smiled sadly. “I don’t know Tom. I felt – I –” Harry softly whispered the next words and Tom felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. “I just felt so sad, Tom. I still don’t know why. It hurt so much.”

Tom shut his eyes tightly as tears slid down his cheeks. No, he had promised himself he would never tell anyone what he’d done that day. No one knew what he had done.

But it seems he has to tell Harry and others the truth. He'll not allow Harry to hurt himself for something that wasn't his fault.

There was a reason no one knew till this day who had murdered Gellert Grindelwald.

How could anyone know what had happened that day.

How could anyone say anything when they hadn’t even witnessed what had happened. All the people in the alley had fainted after his magic had lashed out when he had seen Harry die.


	4. Chapter 4

“I avenged you, Harry.” Tom caressed Harry’s cheek and smiled sadly. “I promised you I would never hurt anyone but I broke that promise when you died right in front of me.” Tom felt tears gather in his eyes and did nothing to stop them from flowing down his cheeks. “I killed the man who took you from me, Harry. I tortured Gellert Grindelwald before sending him to hell. You did nothing wrong, Harry. You didn’t—didn’t leave me. You will never leave me again.”

Harry gave Tom a watery smile, still not understanding everything, but knowing without a doubt that this man was the most important person to him and that he loved him.

Harry again hugged Tom and shut his eyes tightly when he felt tears drop on his shoulders. Tom will never be alone again. He will be by Tom’s side forever.

Sirius, Remus, Regulus and Severus’ eyes widened in horror while James and Lily covered their mouth to stifle their screams as they heard Tom Riddle tell Harry that he had been the one who had killed the most notorious dark wizard of all time because he had murdered Harry de Forest Riddle, Tom Riddle’s husband.

Orion shut his eyes tightly as he recalled the mad glint Tom had in his eyes when he had come to bid him and Walburga goodbye. He glanced at his wife who was shaking where she was standing.

Gellert Grindelwald had been tortured with numerous curses, cruciatus curse most of all, before he had been killed with an avada kedavra. His broken wand with weird markings on it had been beside his body, just as dead as it’s master.

“You didn’t leave me, Harry,” Tom whispered to himself. “You didn’t.” He caressed Harry’s cheek and smiled softly. “You’ll never hurt yourself again, yes?”

Harry nodded and again looped his arms around Tom’s neck. He wanted to know who this man was. Why was he so important to him?

“I promise,” Harry replied. “I promise I won’t hurt myself.”

* * *

“Tom—you killed?” Orion started but stopped as he saw the grief in Tom’s eyes.

Tom had tucked Harry in after talking to him who had fallen asleep as soon as his head had touched the pillow. James and Lily had a laid a kiss on Harry’s head before thanking Tom profusely.

They’d all seen the faint scratch marks on Harry’s face and arms disappear as soon as Tom had touched him.

Tom chuckled bitterly at Orion’s question. “Of course I did, Black.” Tom felt his heart clench in pain as he recalled Harry falling down after being hit with the killing curse. “That man took Harry away from me,” he clenched his hands into fists and everyone suppressed a shiver as they felt the dark magic surround them. “He deserved to die thousand times for killing my love.”

Walburga and Lily shared a glance but did not say anything. Severus, Remus and Regulus could still not get over the fact that this young man had killed the greatest dark wizard of all time.

It was decided then that Tom would stay at the Grimmauld Place with his friends, Sirius, Regulus and Remus. James and Lily had begged Tom to stay at Potter manor but Tom had refused that offer.

“No. If I stay by his side all the time, it will be too difficult for him to be alone ever again.” James and Lily could see it was hurting Tom to say the words. “I’ll stay by his side for whole day, but he has to be alone for a while too.”

Harry started laughing more and more as time went by. He spent his days with Tom, telling him about the books he’d read, the spells he’d learned from his father and mother, the places he had visited when he hadn’t felt lethargic.

“We went to fae’s forest in Ireland, Tom, when mummy and daddy were trying to find you.” Harry told Tom excitedly, waving his arms around in the air. “It was so beautiful, Tom. I’d wanted to stay there for more than a few hours but mum and dad didn’t want to risk my health so we’d left quickly.” Harry smiled softly. “I liked that place, I liked it a lot, it had felt like home, Tom.”

Tom dropped a kiss on Harry’s forehead which made Harry feel like he was the happiest boy in the world. “Of course you loved it.” It made sense for Harry to like the forest. That’s where the Slytherin manor was, where he resides, where they both used to live.

Sirius’s eyes softened as he looked at his godson and Tom Riddle. Harry hadn’t shed a tear in the last six months. Tom, to everyone’s surprise was a healer too and had checked Harry after a month of their acquaintance. Harry had recovered completely, he didn't feel weak in the slightest.

“They really are meant for each other, aren’t they?” Remus said softly as Tom tickled Harry who started giggling.

“Yes.” Sirius agreed and leaned into his husband. “Yes, they are.”

* * *

Tom grinned fondly as he saw Harry jumping up and down in excitement. “What is it Harry?”

“I am going to turn eleven in ten days, Tom!”

Tom’s eyes widened a bit as heard that. Ah, yes. His husband’s birthday was July 31. He smiled softly and ruffled Harry’s hair who snickered and wrapped his arms around his waist.

“We are going to have so much fun, Tom.” Harry whispered. “All of us.”

Tom felt tears gather in his eyes as he caressed Harry’s head. “Yes. Yes we will.”

* * *

Harry refused to go to any school, rejecting all options and simply saying he had no intention of leaving Tom.

James and Lily didn’t care in the slightest. They and their family (Severus, Remus, Orion, Walburga, Sirius, Regulus) were well trained in all magical arts. And since Tom riddle was by Harry’s side, Harry really didn’t need a teacher to tell him anything.

Around December, Harry fainted again while he was out in the gardens with Orion and Walburga, playing with his lamb, Walter, and his grandparents.

That would be the last time Harry had a fainting fit. Harry remembered everything after he woke up.

Orion and Walburga couldn’t stop smiling as they saw their best friends embracing each other.

“Harry, stop apologizing,” Tom lovingly caressed the eleven year old’s head. “You weren’t at fault.”

Harry shook his head and buried his face in Tom’s neck. “I know.” Harry softly whispered. “I know. But I promised to stay with you forever.”

Tom shut his eyes as tears slipped from his eyes. “And you kept it Harry.” He leaned back and looked in Harry’s tear filled eyes. “And I’ll never let you leave me again.”

Harry smiled sadly before brushing his forehead with Tom’s. “I won’t. I won’t.”

James wiped a tear that had slid down his cheek and tugged Lily to his side who was laughing softly beside him. They were happy for their son.

“You know I am happy I got to witness something so amazing,” James said softly. “I didn’t think two people could love each other so much.”

“I didn’t think so too.” Lily agreed.

“So, Harry,” Harry and Tom turned to Severus who was sporting a rare grin on his face. “Will you now go to school?”

Harry started laughing as he wiped the remnants of tear tracks on his cheeks. He and Tom would never be sad again. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

“And I am assuming since you called Lily maman, and not mum, you won’t be going to Hogwarts?” Regulus asked with an arched brow.

Harry smiled sheepishly. “Uh—no.” He glanced at Tom and his heart filled with warmth at seeing the man he cared for so much. “I would like to go to Beauxbatons this time, father wanted me to go there but,” Harry shrugged as he recalled his parents from his childhood in his past life.

“Well, then, Harry,” Sirius strode forward and ruffled Harry’s hair. “I am sure Lily and James will have no problems sending you there.” He glanced at his friends who nodded at Harry. “Of course.”

Harry smiled softly at his parents. “Thank you.”

Lily and James couldn’t stop themselves from rushing forward and enveloping their son in a hug. “Oh, Harry! We love you so much!”

Harry felt safe and secure in his parents embrace, he loved them too. They reminded him a lot of his parents in his previous life. Who knows, maybe they were his parents then too.

“Harry, you have to promise us one thing though,” James smirked at his son who blinked innocently at him. “You are not getting up to any funny stuff until you are at least sixteen years old.”

Harry blushed a deep red and buried his face in his father’s chest. “Dad! Come on!”

James ruffled his son’s hair before Harry ran off to Orion and Walburga. His eyes softened as Walburga and Orion showered Harry with kisses, tears shining in both of his adoptive parents’ eyes. He could see how happy they were to have Harry back with them. He could see how happy Harry was to see them again, his face was radiating joy even if he had started crying again.

James glanced at his wife and grinned when he saw the smile on her face. They were glad for Harry.

Tom shook his head fondly before rising from his place. His eyes softened as he saw Harry hugging their best friends.

They’d suffered enough, both of them.

They didn’t need to anymore.

* * *

Harry couldn’t stop the delighted grin that came on his face when he saw Tom sitting with other teachers at his school. Tom was the new Defense against the dark arts teacher at Beauxbatons Academy of magic. His headmistress, Madame Maxime was very proud to have Tom Riddle teach the students of her school.

“You came here for me?” Harry asked Tom later. Tom had snuck him out of the castle and they were back at Potter manor for the night.

Tom grinned fondly at Harry and ruffled his hair. “Yes. I would do anything for you, Harry,” he murmured softly.

Harry felt warmth envelop him at Tom’s words. “Thank you.”

* * *

James knew he would have a heart attack if he didn’t know any better. Fortunately, he did know better and thus avoided the cataclysmic situation.

Any person would feel that way if they saw their thirteen year old son hugging a thousand year old basilisk whose eyes were closed and who seemed to be enjoying Harry’s touch.

Tom had invited all of them to his and Harry’s home, the Slytherin manor which he and everyone had tried their best to find but hadn’t been able to. They’d taken Harry to the enchanted fae forest in Ireland near Lough Léin but had no idea that it was also the residence of the Slytherin heir and his husband.

_“Well,” Tom gave all of them a smug grin which made everyone except the elder Blacks and Harry scowl. “None of you know parseltongue. My manor is protected by ancient spells and wards, casted by Salazar and myself.” Tom shrugged. “It’s no wonder you couldn’t find it.”_

_“But we came here,” Lily groaned. “We came to this forest and we still couldn’t—”_

_Remus laughed as he tugged Lily to his side. “Come on Lily, don’t worry too much. None of us were able to feel anything.”_

“Dad, come here,” James shook out of his reverie as he heard Harry’s voice. He was startled to see that he was the only one standing alone, others had gone inside the manor. Harry was the only one outside, chatting with Magus.

“Coming dear.”

Harry gestured to the basilisk as if it was a fluffy kitten. “Dad, meet Magus. My best friend.”

James grinned fondly at Harry and conjured his Gryffindor spirit and touched the scales of the sixty foot basilisk. “Hello, Magus, I am James Potter, Harry’s father.”

James heard the basilisk and Harry hissing and was surprised to see Harry’s eyes softening at what Magus must have said.

“What did he say Harry?” James glanced at the ancient creature who had left them to swim in the lake.

“He said he is happy to meet my parents. He couldn’t before.”

James hugged his son fiercely before going inside the manor of his son in law. Tom was Harry’s husband and he knew they are going to marry again even if it wasn’t needed. He was glad Tom and Harry got another chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics : Flashback
> 
> Did anyone figure this out, that Tom had killed Grindelwald because he had killed his husband, Harry de Forest?


	5. Chapter 5

Harry reverently stroked Tom’s cheek who was lying patiently under him.

“Harry,” Tom chided. “We are still at school, love.”

Harry pouted. “But Tom, I am sixteen now,” he looked at Tom from under his lashes and felt sparks of pleasure shoot through his veins as Tom stiffened under him. “Don’t you want to kiss me?”

“Merlin! Harry,” Tom groaned and started laughing, “You haven’t changed in the slightest.”

Harry smiled smugly and leaned in to place a soft kiss on Tom’s jaw. God, Tom was so beautiful! He caressed the sharp cheekbones of his lover and felt heat pool in his stomach as Tom gulped. He’d missed Tom so much.

Harry was glad he had this man’s heart.

“Of course not.”

Tom hummed in delight when Harry sucked a bruise at his nape. It had been so long since he’d felt Harry’s pleasant warmth upon him. He caressed Harry’s back, trailing his fingers over the familiar shoulder blades.

How many times he’d worshipped this very man’s back before moving down to his prize.

“Harry—” Tom started.

“Hmmm,” Harry answered, too busy licking the bruise he’d sucked onto Tom’s neck. “Yes,” he finally manages.

“I think I figured out why you were getting weak.”

Harry stilled in his ministrations as Tom’s words registered in his brain.

No matter what they did, his family hadn’t been able to figure out why he’d gotten weak when he was a child, neither had Tom for that matter. But it seemed now Tom had come to a conclusion.

Harry leaned back and settled on Tom’s crotch, his legs on either side of his boyfriend. Tom gave him an unimpressed look but Harry just shrugged. “You like me where I am, don’t pretend otherwise.”

Tom rolled his eyes. “Sure, I do. I hope you don’t mind if I get a little excited.”

Harry snickered and shook his head. “I don’t mind, not in the least.”

Tom chuckled and tried to ignore the pleasant feeling of Harry on top of him. He wasn’t succeeding much if Harry’s squirming was anything to go by, but Harry wanted it like this, so he had no right to complain if his erection did poke him.

“I think you were getting weak because I wasn’t beside you.” Tom paused for a minute before continuing. He locked his gaze with Harry’s who was looking at him curiously and smiled softly. “I have a feeling you would have automatically apparated to my side after one point. You weren’t weak physically, neither were you sick—”

Harry tilted his head when Tom paused and continued to look at him with that piercing gaze of his. “What?”

“I think,” Tom whispered as he slowly started to rise, making Harry plop down on the grass, with Tom’s thighs bracketing him. “That your soul was crying to be with me. That’s why you got weak. You weren’t able to cope because I wasn’t beside you. You healed immediately as soon as I embraced you.”

Harry’s breath hitched at Tom’s words and proximity. He could feel Tom’s cool breath fan over his face and inhaled sharply. Tom’s eyes crinkled in amusement when he did that. Bastard. How dare he make fun of Harry when he was the same?

“Should I continue? Or are you too dazed by my presence to even comprehend what I am saying?”

Harry huffed. “Don’t be so mean.” Tom smirked and leaned forward, tilting Harry’s chin up to kiss him. He brushed his lips against Harry’s, once, twice, before gently licking the bottom lip, making the teen sigh into the kiss.

“You know, Orion and Walburga realized it was you by another thing,” Tom commented as he laid a chaste kiss on his love’s forearm.

Harry blinked. “How?” It wasn’t his fault if he became stupid when Tom kissed him where his name was written on Harry’s body, his very soul.

“Do you remember how you used to kiss your arm when we were at school? Making Orion, Alphard and Walburga wonder why?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

Tom smiled softly. “Do you remember doing the same when you were six or seven? You had another attack and after you were done with crying, you kept on caressing the place where my name is written.”

Harry bit his lip and his eyes widened a little as he recalled doing the same thing he used to when he was Harry Deforest. Yes, Tom was right. He had done that. He’d felt so heartbroken when he’d thought about Tom being alone.

“I suppose Orion and Walburga didn’t realise your name was there.” Harry said quietly.

Tom shook his head, tugging Harry closer and rubbing soothing circles on his bicep. “No, they didn’t. It’s written in parseltongue and is only visible to you and me.”

Harry’s eyes automatically went to Tom’s collarbone underneath which his name was. “Does it still say Harry Deforest there?”

Tom’s lips quirked up in amusement. “No, it changed.” He smiled softly to himself. “The day I met you it changed to Harry Potter.”

Tom stroked Harry’s cheek who smiled softly at him and leaned into his palm. “Harry Deforest and Harry Potter are same people.” He took in Harry’s face and the same urge to devour Harry surged up in him. “You are mine, Harry. It doesn’t matter if your last name is de Forest or Potter.” 

Harry blushed and ducked his head as he saw the dangerous glint in Tom’s eyes. No matter how many times Tom said he was his, it was never enough. Those words never failed to make his heart swell in happiness. He slowly lifted his head and caressed the area under Tom’s collarbone where his name was written.

“Can I see it?” Harry asked, trailing his fingers over the collarbone under which his name was.

Tom grinned and pulled his hand back to himself to open his shirt.

Harry’s breath hitched when Tom’s collarbone was exposed to him. There, in lovely blue ink was his name, Harry Potter. His gaze automatically went to his arm and his chest filled with warmth at seeing Tom Riddle written there in the same blue ink.

“We’ll always be together, Harry,” Tom muttered softly.

Harry blinked back tears as Tom’s words washed over him. He dazedly reached forward to touch his name on Tom’s body.

Before Harry could realise what he was doing, he had closed the gap between him and Tom. He trailed his fingers over his name and pleasure shot through his veins, making him shiver as he saw the way Tom’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Harry grinned to himself and laid a chaste kiss on his name on Tom’s chest.

“I am yours, Tom,” he lifted his head to meet Tom’s burgundy gaze. “I’ll always be yours.”

Tom pulled Harry completely in his lap and proceeded to ravish Harry’s mouth, showing him with his actions how true that statement was.

“Merlin! My eyes!” Sirius cursed as he came upon Tom kissing the daylights out of his godson in the hallway. “You two, take it to your room!”

Tom gave Orion’s son a smug grin before gathering Harry in his arms and disapparating to Harry’s room. All of Harry’s family had caught them like this once.

Harry bounced on the bed and laughed out loud when Tom pounced on him.

Harry carded his fingers through the dark tresses of his love he knew so well. A pleasant tingle ran down his spine as Tom moaned when he tugged the curls at the base of his neck. Tom liked it when he pulled his hair, just like he loved scratching Tom’s back when they made love. There was something thrilling in seeing his marks on Tom’s back.

_| Eighteen years old |_

Harry closed his eyes, finally satisfied, as Tom gently pulled out of him. They’d done it five times in a row and he still couldn’t help but want Tom back inside him.

“What are you thinking, Harry?” Tom asked, his voice low and husky. Harry shivered as he felt his husband’s soft lips on his shoulder blades.

“Uh—I—” Harry forgot what he was supposed to say when Tom gently caressed his thigh before trailing those long, sinful fingers over the curve of his ass and back to his entrance.

“Once more, Harry,” Tom pleaded. “Please.”

Tom’s tone made Harry whimper. Tom never pleaded to anyone, never.

“Yes! Gods, yes! As many times as you want, mon cheri.”

Harry felt Tom’s joy at his words through their bond and his eyes closed in bliss as Tom again slid inside him, his teeth digging into the juncture between his neck and shoulders.

* * *

“I am glad to see you smile again, Tom,” Orion muttered to the man sitting beside him.

Tom turned his eyes away from Harry who was having a riveting conversation with Remus and Severus about the journal he’d recently submitted about the Draught of living death. Severus was very impressed with Harry’s analysis.

Walburga, Lily, Sirius and James were watching a movie on the LED, while Regulus was taking a nap on the couch.

Tom glanced at his best friend and smiled softly. Orion and Walburga really did care for him, didn’t they?

“I am sorry for hurting you both all these years.”

Orion’s eyes widened for a bit before he shook his head. “You didn’t hurt us, Tom,” he paused as he glanced at Harry who was now trying to wake up Regulus. “You were hurting so much, my friend.” He grasped Tom’s in his and squeezed it to reassure him. “Don’t apologise for feeling.”

Tom laid his other hand on their entwined ones and grinned at his friend. He was glad he and Harry had such good friends.

* * *

Harry saw Tom smiling softly at the birds flying over the lake. He leaned into his husband who automatically pulled him even closer.

“Tom?”

“Yes?” Tom asked, without turning his gaze away from the picturesque scene in front of him.

“We’ll always be together right?” Harry asked, his voice soft and vulnerable. “I don’t want to leave you again. I don’t want you to ever leave me.”

Tom turned to look at his love who had buried his face in his shirt.

“Harry.”

Harry resisted the urge to look up, he really did, but when those long fingers started tracing unknown patterns on his arm, he relented.

“What?” Harry lifted his head to lock his emerald eyes with Tom’s ruby ones.

Tom turned fully towards him and gently cradled his face in his broad palms.

“I promise you Harry,” Harry’s breath hitched at the fierce look in Tom’s eyes. “I will never leave you or allow you to leave me. You are mine, you’ve always been mine and you will always be mine. We are immortal Harry, because of the horcrux I made with Grindelwald’s death. Horcruxes are not only a safeguard against death, they freeze the person at the age they are created too.”

Tom took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. He stroked Harry’s cheekbone and grinned when Harry’s eyes became half lidded.

“You are my bonded Harry, our souls our entwined. Nothing can harm us again, nothing.”

Harry’s eyes softened as he saw the tenderness in those red orbs. “I believe you. I’d been yours since the moment I entered Hogwarts and asked you to be my friend. I will always be yours.”

Tom gently thumbed Harry’s bottom lip and smiled when Harry automatically parted them. He brought his face closer to Harry’s and pressed a soft kiss at Harry’s jaw before capturing the delectable lips of his husband.

They’ll never be separated again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that's it. I hope everyone enjoyed the story.
> 
> Next chapter will be an extra.
> 
> In case it wasn't clear, Harry is immortal too now because he is soul bonded to Tom. He married him as soon as he turned eighteen.


	6. Harry Deforest ( Potter ) and Tom Riddle

“Bonjour!” Harry offered his hand to the beautiful boy beside him. “Je m’appelle Harry Deforest. Comment tu t'appelles?"

Tom looked bewildered by the short, messy-haired, green eyed boy sitting beside him. Why was he talking to him in French? He didn’t know French. Was it another way to insult him like the others had done?

Before Tom could open his mouth to say anything, the boy slapped his own head and shook his head.

“Merci! Ugh—” Tom wanted to find a new seat. This one was clearly not okay. “Sorry,” the boy said in a thick French accent. “My name is Harry Deforest. What’s yours?”

Tom looked at Harry warily before answering. “Tom Riddle.” He shook Harry’s hand which the boy had still not taken back.

Harry gave him a beaming smile. “Let’s become the greatest of friends.”

Tom now had a very bad feeling about him. “Sure. Whatever you say.”

Turns out Harry really was speaking the truth.

The little boy, seriously, why was he so short at the age of eleven, pushed some of the third years who had been calling him mudblood in the broom cupboard behind them.

“Go to hell.”

Harry grabbed Tom’s hand and ran for it.

Next day, Tom and Harry heard Merrythought had given the four bullies a week’s worth of detention. The two girls and boys had to clean the bathrooms for the whole week.

“Thank you,” Tom muttered softly.

Harry blushed, Tom was very beautiful. “Its okay.” He shook his head. “It’s not right to bully someone.”

Harry spilled his incomplete potion on his hand and let out a terrible shriek as boils started appearing on the back of his hand and arm.

“Idiot! I told you to wait for me.” Harry whimpered as Tom tried to soothe the damage with his wand. “I – I – I am sorry.”

Tom felt his heart clench at seeing tears in Harry’s eyes. “Don’t worry about it. Just come with me.”

Tom levitated their bags and draped his arm around Harry’s shoulder and took him to the hospital wing to get his hands treated.

Tom stayed in the hospital wing by Harry’s bedside for the whole night.

Tom and Harry looked warily at the two Blacks who were trying to look as if they didn’t care whether or not Harry and Tom would accept their offer of friendship or not. The third one on the other hand was looking at them with a bright smile on his face.

“Okay.” Harry said slowly. Tom noticed how Orion and Walburga’s rigid shoulders slackened while Alphard gave a loud whoop of laughter. “But if you say one mean word to Tom or—”

Orion rolled his eyes. “Have we ever said a mean word to you or Tom?”

Harry scrunched his nose in confusion at his fellow Slytherins which made Tom grin fondly.

“No, you haven’t.” Tom answered for both Harry and him and they shook hands with the fourth years.

“Uh—Tom.” Harry scratched his cheek, was he doing this the right way?

“Yes, Harry?” Tom turned to Harry who blushed as their eyes met. Tom clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to rip Harry’s clothes off of him and see with his own eyes how deep that blush went.

“Do you want to date me?” Harry bit his bottom lip in apprehension. He liked Tom, he really wanted Tom to like him too.

Tom felt his heart skip a beat.

Date.

Date.

Harry really was asking him to be his boyfriend. He’d been hoping to ask Harry once he was fifteen, but this was good too. A few months didn't really matter.

“Of course,” he gave his best friend a charming grin which made Harry duck his head in embarrassment. Why was Tom so beautiful? It wasn’t fair!

“Though,” Harry jerked his head to look up at Tom. “What? What is it?”

Tom stroked Harry’s cheek and leaned in to whisper in the younger boy’s ear. “I am a bit upset that you asked me out first.” He leaned back and looked at Harry with a serious expression.

Harry was looking at him with confusion shining on his eyes. God, why was Harry so sweet, so lovely, so beautiful! “You have to make it up to me now.”

Tom pursed his lips to hide his grin but something must have shown in his eyes as next second Harry tackled him to the ground and he fell on the grass with a soft thud.

“You are such a tease, Tom! Don’t scare me like that.” Harry smacked his boyfriend lightly on the head before lying down beside him. Tom pulled him even closer and Harry inhaled deeply the scent of his boyfriend. Tom’s scent of rivers and woodlands never failed to make him dizzy with want.

It felt nice to call Tom his boyfriend. 

Orion, Walburga and Alphard couldn’t stop smiling when they found out Tom was going out with Harry. They’d known the two would end up together.

“Let’s sneak out, this calls for a celebration,” Walburga rubbed her hands together. “There is this great restaurant in Diagon alley that I wanted to take you both to.” She turned to her fiancé and cousin and wasn’t surprised to see the same mischievous glint in their eyes. “Orion and Alphard know a way out.”

Harry snickered as Tom pressed a kiss to his head, inhaling the intoxicating scent of Harry, of rain splattered earth and woodlands, made even better with the bubble bath Harry had just had. (Orion had had no problems giving him and Harry the password to prefect’s bathroom.)

The five of them had a great time at the restaurant and even sneaked in some desserts with them.

“So, I am going to be Tom’s best man,” Orion declared proudly. He gave Harry a cheeky grin who grabbed Walburga’s arm and leaned into her. “Walburga will be mine then.”

Walburga’s eyes softened as she heard Harry. Harry was like her little brother, she cared a lot about him. “It will be my honor, Harry.”

“Who says I will make you the best man?” Tom drawled from beside Orion who squawked in indignation. “Hey!”

Tom gave Harry a lascivious grin which made Harry duck his head in embarrassment. “Maybe I’ll elope with him. No need for best man then.”

Orion and Walburga’s mouth opened in shock. Harry let out a whine, why did Tom always tease him?

“You can’t do that,” the two Blacks mock glared at Tom. “You can’t take that from us.”

Tom just winked at Harry who left Walburga’s side immediately and plopped down on Tom’s lap to kiss him. 

“So these two are your parents?” Tom glanced at the tall, red haired man and the dark haired woman standing beside him. They looked very happy with little Harry in between them.

“Oui.” Harry piped in, his head resting on Tom’s shoulder. “Turn the page, mon amour, there are many photographs of when I was a babe.”

Tom eyes softened as he glanced at little Harry, crawling on all fours to his mother. “You were a very sweet baby.”

Harry felt his heart clench in pain at Tom’s words. Tom’s parents had died when he was just a child. Tom’s father had committed suicide for some reason, while his mother had died in childbirth. Both he and Tom hoped the two were at peace now.

“So, where do you want to go now,” Tom asked as he opened the window of their hotel room.

Harry pulled the comforter over his head to cover his eyes. Harry wanted to whine. Tom always did this in the morning. “Mon chéri, I love you, I really do, but that will not stop me from hitting you if you don’t close that fucking window this instant.” 

Tom just chuckled and strolled back to the bed, leaving the windows as it is, letting the cool breeze inside. He slid inside the duvet and found Harry glaring at him.

“Sweetheart, that will never work on me,” Tom drawled before flinging the duvet off them both and straddling Harry.

Harry forgot everything when Tom latched his mouth onto his neck.

“Harry?” Tom worriedly glanced at their next destination. Was it really a good idea to visit Poland and Germany with what Grindelwald was doing?

“Yes?”

“Don’t you think we should go somewhere else?”

Harry furrowed his brows in confusion at Tom’s words. “What do you mean?”

Tom gestured to their itinerary. “According to this, we are supposed to go to Poland next. Then Germany. Those places are really not safe right now, Harry. You haven’t forgotten about Grindelwald, have you?” he glanced at his husband who was now looking at the diary page with a frown on his face.

“You are right, mon cheri,” Harry agreed, he pointed his wand at them and the names changed to Bulgaria and Romania. He turned to his husband and gave him a sheepish grin. “I went with my parents to both the places when I was young. I completely forgot about the present situation. Sorry.”

Tom chuckled and tugged Harry closer. “You have nothing to apologies for love.”

The couple could not have imagined even in their wildest dreams that Grindelwald would make an appearance in the magical community of Bulgaria.

Tom paid the shop keeper for the sneakoscopes and left the shop to go back to the bookstore he’d left his husband at. Harry had wanted to buy some books on astronomy and potions and had told him to go on ahead to buy present for their friends by himself.

As soon as Tom left the shop he knew something was wrong. A cold shiver went down his spine as he glanced at the long alley and the many shops on both the sides. There was something present in the air which wasn’t there before, a shift in magic, and Tom knew beyond a doubt that something terrible was about to happen.

He glanced at the book store which was visible from where he was standing and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Harry coming out with a bundle of books in his hands, a happy grin on his lovely face.

Tom was about to apparate to his love when the whole alley shook and Tom froze in his spot. He could not apparate.

Suddenly figures started appearing everywhere and Tom felt his heart stop when he saw a blonde man apparate near Harry.

People started shouting when they noticed Grindelwald in their midst. Many tried to disapparate like Tom but couldn’t. Tom’s eyes immediately sought Harry who too was frozen on his spot.

Gellert Grindelwald twirled a talisman of sorts around his neck, then pointed his wand at his neck.

“The world will know what happens to those who defy Gellert Grindelwald.” The man’s amplified voice boomed across the whole alley. He glanced at his followers and a truly vicious grin came on the man’s face. “Lives must be sacrificed for the greater good, my friends. No war is won without bloodshed.”

And then all hell broke loose.

People started running while Gellert’s Grindelwald’s supporters started firing killing and torture curses anywhere they could. The ones who could fight tried to protect the others and engaged in with Grindelwald’s supporters.

Tom ran towards Harry but it was no easy task, he had to fight his way through the killing curses flying around everywhere and people pushing each other around, screaming to find a way out of the death trap they were in.

Tom deflected the curse which flew towards him and pushed a few people out of the way to get to Harry. He could see Harry trying to save as many as he could by tugging them along with him as he casted the protego around him and the others who were near him.

“Ah, that won’t do, lad.” Gellert drawled as he saw Harry trying to save himself and others who were running beside him. “I hate idiots like you the most.”

With a flick of his wand, Grindelwald smashed through the protego the young man had casted around him and others and shot the killing curse at him and the ones he was trying to protect. “Sentimental idiot.” The blonde man spat as he turned to get rid of others in vicinity.

Tom felt numb as Harry fell down on his feet. Dead.

He was too late.

He couldn’t reach Harry in time.

Harry was dead.

Harry was dead.

A blood curdling scream left Tom’s mouth and the wards which had been placed by Grindelwald around the alley shattered as Tom Riddle’s magic lashed out. Grindelwald’s supporters and the running mob slumped to the ground, unconscious, because of the intense dark magic now swirling through the air.

Gellert Grindelwald stopped dead in his tracks as he felt his blood wards brutally torn through by someone. No, this could not be! No one could do this! No one was powerful enough to do this.

And _he_ was too much of a coward to come after him.

Grindelwald slowly turned around and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the unconscious bodies of the customers and his supporters, lying on the ground. Not one person was awake in the whole alley.

Except for one dark haired man, whose anguished cries were echoing throughout the now silent magical alley.

Tom shut his eyes as more tears slid down his cheeks. He buried his face in the now cold body of his lover.

“Harry—Harry — Harry—”

Harry was dead. Harry was dead. He could never touch Harry again, he could never see Harry smile again. He could never hold Harry again. Harry was gone.

That man killed Harry. He took Harry from him.

Tom opened his eyes and lifted his head from Harry’s body. He gripped his yew wand in a death grip and stood up.

Gellert Grindelwald will not live to see the next sunrise.

Grindelwald knew he should have apparated the moment his blood wards were smashed like nothing. But for some unfathomable reason, he didn’t. He stayed.

Tom turned to look at the only man standing among the unconscious bodies and rage unlike any filled him at the sight of the monster.

Gellert Grindelwald was looking at him curiously as if he could not understand him.

“It’s impressive what you did just now,” Gellert stated. He glanced at the dead body on the ground who the dark haired man had been cradling in his arms and crying over. Ah, the one he had killed a few minutes ago.

The blonde man smirked. “Was that your lover?” He got no answer. The tall, dark haired, handsome young man continued to glare at him with venom in his eyes.

Grindelwald shrugged. “Too bad. Everyone loses loved ones at some point. You have to get over it.”

Tom non verbally casted every spell he could around the blonde man and made sure he would not be able to escape.

“Join me,” Grindelwald opened his arms wide. “You can always find another man to love. I am sure he isn’t that special.”

Tom grinned like a maniac as he felt all the wards falling in place around the blonde man.

No one could save Grindelwald now.

“Why should it even matter—”

“Shut up.” Tom hissed, his cold voice echoing in the air around them.

Grindelwald narrowed his eyes at the twenty something man who was now walking towards him with slow, deliberate steps. Before he could say anything, a killing curse flew straight towards him.

Grindelwald’s eyes widened slightly as he moved out of it’s way. He didn’t hear the man saying anything.

“You’ll die for taking him from me.”

After that, Grindelwald could only defend himself from the barrage of curses that flew towards him.

Tom threw every curse with the intent to kill, to mutilate, to slaughter, to utterly destroy the man in front of him.

This vermin, this vile creature was the reason Harry was dead. He will die a thousand deaths for taking Harry from him. He will make this man feel everything he was feeling at the moment.

Grindelwald grit his teeth in frustration as spells after spells came flying towards him. He didn’t even know half the spells the fucking asshole was hissing at him. The goddamn boy was actually hissing the spells at him and he didn’t know what to do to counter them. He’d never even heard of such spells existing.

Somewhere in his heart Grindelwald realised he will not come out of this alive.

“I am getting tired of this,” Tom murmured to himself. “Expelliarmus.”

Gellert’s eyes widened in horror as he was disarmed of his greatest weapon, he didn’t think the boy would disarm him. Before he could do anything, invisible ropes wound across his chest and legs and next second he was lying on the ground, bound with magical shackles.

Tom slowly walked towards the man who had destroyed his whole world with one curse.

“Crucio.” Tom said, his voice as cold and dead as his heart.

Tom continued to torture the man until he was nothing but a bloody, incoherent mess, begging the young man standing over him to kill him already.

“Stop?” Tom tilted his head to a side before throwing another bone shattering curse on the man’s legs. “I think not.” He casted another cutting spell on the man’s arms before picking up the wand of the blonde wizard.

“You used this to kill my love,” Tom glared at the stick in his hands with venom and broke it in two, not even caring how magic crackled around him as he did that. “This things will share your fate.” He threw the broken parts of the man’s wand near his body and without delay casted the killing curse on the man. He had no wish to stay here a minute longer.

Tom silently casted some cleaning charms over him and his robes and lifted the spells he’d casted to stop Grindelwald from running away. With that done, he went back to where Harry was still lying. He didn’t want to stay in this place a minute longer.

Tom lifted his lovely husband in his arms and dropped a kiss on his love’s forehead. “I avenged you, my love.” he whispered softly. He disapparated from the alley. He had no intention of revealing to anyone he had killed Gellert Grindelwald.

Magus saw his master’s, his friend’s blank stare and wondered how could humans feel so much. He was an animal but that didn’t mean he didn’t understand emotions. His kind didn’t really need mates, if they wanted, they could produce offspring through sheer magic, but Magus had no desire to sire children.

Magus wondered though what wrong did his master do to suffer like this. He glanced at the spot where Tom was sitting, the same spot where Tom had cremated Harry. Tom hadn’t wanted a single reminder of Harry to remain which would make him do something foolish like bring him back as an inferi. With the body and bones both gone, Tom would never be tempted.

His master had thought about world domination at one point of time, he’d even wanted to set him on some students, ones who annoyed his master a lot. But Harry had quickly put a stop to those frankly bad plans.

Magus felt calm wash over him as he recalled the memory his master and his mate had shared with him years ago.

_“So, you think it’s funny to set a sixty foot basilisk on people?” Harry asked, not at all impressed with his boyfriend._

_Tom spluttered. “Darling! You misunderstand I am only talking about the ones who—”_

_“My maman was a muggle,” Harry deadpanned. “You think she was a bad person?”_

_Tom bristled. “Of course not! My father was a muggle too, but some are just rotten, Harry. Look at the muggles who raised,” Tom said the word like a venom, “who made my life hell, Harry. Some are just bad. And muggleborns are usually pathetic. And purebloods think they are all that, when they are not.”_

_Harry sighed. “You are right, mon amour.” He glanced at the Black lake and leaned more into Tom who automatically pulled him closer. “But isn’t it better to show them how stupid they are by being great at magic. To see them burn with jealousy and anger, to instill in their minds that no matter what they do, they could never be as good as you.” Harry felt proud of himself in that moment. “That’s a much better way to shut people up.”_

_Tom relented. Harry’s words made sense. “You are right, darling. You are right.”_

“Magus.” Tom said softly. Magus turned to face his friend who had an insane glint in his grey eyes. Magus didn’t like it one bit.

“Yes, Tom?”

“Why am I alive?”

Magus didn’t like the cold feeling that went through him after hearing that.

“Tom?”

To Magus’s horror, Tom threw his head back and started laughing like a maniac.

“Tom—”

Tom didn’t stop for a while and when he did, Magus felt like there was no such thing as a god in this world. Tears were rolling down Tom’s cheeks, his hands clenched so tightly that drops of blood fell upon the grass, as light as a rain drops.

“Harry is dead.” Tom whispered. “Why am I alive then?”

Magus didn’t know how he should comfort Tom.

No, Harry wouldn’t want Tom to die. He has to find a way to stop his master from doing anything foolish.

“Harry wouldn’t want you to do that. He would want you to live for both of your sakes.”

Tom closed his eyes as Magus’s words washed over his being. He did not say anything else for the whole time he sat on the shore.

Magus knew Tom would not give up so easily.

He was right.

Magus was startled to sense Blinky and Tiffy’s fear from the shore and he immediately swam towards the manor. Something was wrong, Slytherin’s house elves only came to him when he had a desire to eat rabbits. Little Faes didn’t like when he hunted in their forest, it scared them, so the elves hunted for him and gave him the juicy rabbits.

“What should we do? what should we do ?” Blinky asked frantically to the giant serpent, her eyes shut close. “Master Tom has slit his wrists!”

Magus knew something like this would happen. The way Tom had been looking at the lake today had pointed towards something like this happening. Of course Tom had tried to kill himself. “He has cursed himself, Magus. What should we do? He is bleeding all over the floor. he’ll die at this rate.” Tiffy, added, clenching her tiny hands into fists.

“Call the Faes, tell them to heal, Tom.” Magus knew the Faes will help Tom. They liked him and Harry a lot. “Go quickly, there is no time to waste.”

The two house elves bowed and immediately vanished. Two minutes later, Blinky and Tiffy lowered Tom’s bloodied form on the grass, and Magus didn’t think he could have stopped himself from shedding tears even if he could.

“Child, why would you do this?” Magus felt more tears slip from his eyes as he saw the scratches and knife marks on Tom’s arms and face. His white dress shirt was bloodied and Magus could see faint marks on his torso as well.

Before long two Faes came with Tiffy and Blinky. They glanced at each other and grimaced when they took in Tom’s state.

“You have to give us something in return,” Derion said, his heart clenching in pain at the state the wizard was in. “That’s the only way we can heal him.”

Magus nodded. “Take my tears. My venom is invaluable, but my tears are even more.”

Walsh nodded. “Of course.” Derion started healing Tom, wincing all the while. This was bad, the wizard had literally cursed himself.

Magus lowered his head to the ground and Walsh collected the tears from his eyes. “They will not go to waste, my friend.” The Fae promised the ancient creature. “They will be treasured.”

Tom did not take kindly to be brought back from the brink of death. He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream, he wanted to hurt someone. But when he saw the grief shining in Magus, his elves and two Faes eyes, he let the anger bleed out of him. He knew why they’d saved him.

They were right, Harry wouldn’t want him to die.

“Learn more about magic, Tom,” Magus advised. “See the world, there are so many ways one could use magic.”

Tom let out a snort. “Yes, but magic can’t bring back the dead.” Tom looked up at blue sky above him and tsked. “I searched and searched Magus but I could not find anything that could bring back the dead permanently.”

Magus nodded. “Yes, but you mustn’t lose hope. To lose hope is to give up. And you are not a quitter.”

Tom sighed as he heard his friend. “Alright. Alright.”

“I was summoned to Gringotts Magus when I went out to the world today,” Tom held out the two items the goblins had given him. He wasn’t shocked at all to see Magus’s eyes soften as he glanced at the large, golden locket. “That’s Salazar’s, Tom.”

Tom nodded in assent. “Yes, and that ring belongs to my mother’s family too.”

After a long time, Magus felt happy. He had forgotten what it was like to be happy after Harry had died. “Then you should treasure it.”

“I will,” Tom replied. “I have also decided to make a horcrux. Two in fact.”

Magus tilted his head, there was only one person who had succeeded in doing that, a Greek wizard, Herpo. “Alright. What changed your mind about living?”

Tom smirked and Magus felt relieved. This was the Tom he knew.

“Death is unknown Magus, but if I live forever, I can find a way to resurrect the dead. I will continue to do great things which will make Harry proud of me.” Tom grinned as he recalled Harry’s face when Tom had received the medal which hadn’t been given to anyone before. He was the most brilliant student Hogwarts had ever seen. His magic was astounding. “I will show the world that no one can ever match me.” The only one who could died at the hands of that filthy man.

Magus felt proud of his ancestor’s descendant in that moment. “Good, that’s very good. It’s a good goal.”

Tom turned the resurrection stone and Salazar’s locket into his horcruxes. He gave the ring to Magus for safe keeping since he didn’t want to use it. In fact, he didn’t even want to look at that ugly thing.

He had no desire to summon some half version of Harry.

The locket, though, that he kept with him at all times.

Tom smiled softly as he looked at his and Harry’s photographs inside the locket. He closed the lid and let it rest back on his chest.

“You are the only one Harry, only one. You are my heart and soul. And I believe one day you will come back.”

“Tom, Tom.” Harry frowned as Tom continued to gaze at the beautiful lake in front of them. Harry smacked Tom on the head.

“Oww.” Tom turned to his husband immediately. Harry was not looking impressed in the slightest. “What’d you do that for?”

Harry huffed. “You weren’t listening to me, Tom. I said we gotta go. Everyone is waiting for us, Severus, maman, dad, Orion—”

Tom let out a few expletives as he recalled what day it was. How could he forget? Snape, Harry’s uncle was getting engaged to Rachel Selwyn today.

“See,” Harry said smugly as Tom got up and brushed the grass from his trousers. “That’s what happens when you daydream.”

Tom scoffed as both he and Harry turned to go back their manor to get ready. “I wasn’t day dreaming, I was reminiscing.”

Harry stopped as he heard that. “About what?” he asked quietly.

Magus had told him what Tom had gone through after he had died, how Tom had suffered for twenty five years because of him.

Tom stopped too when he didn’t see Harry beside him. He turned to see where his husband was and startled to see Harry standing few steps away from him, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Harry—” Tom quickly closed the gap between them, engulfing his husband in his arms. “Love, why are you crying?”

“I am here now, Tom.” Harry said softly in Tom’s chest. “I won’t leave you again. I won’t. Ever. I’ll stay by your side forever.”

Tom sucked in a breath and his eyes fluttered shut as Harry’s words washed over him. How long will they suffer because of what had happened decades ago. No, this needed to stop. It was over now.

“Harry,” Tom pulled back a little so he could look into Harry’s eyes. He gently cupped his love’s face in his hands and smiled softly, wiping the tears from his bonded’s cheeks and shaking his head.

“You remember what I said to you when we met?”

Harry nodded. “Yes. Yes, I remember.”

“What did I say?” Tom asked, his voice soft and sweet.

Harry sighed. He knew what Tom was trying to say. “That it wasn’t my fault.” He looked up in his husband’s eyes and felt his heart pound in his chest as he saw the care and love reflected in those ruby orbs.

“That’s right, it wasn’t your fault.” He gripped Harry’s chin in his hand and tilted his face up. “You will not cry again, yes?”

Harry sighed, finally letting a smile grace his features. “Alright.”

Tom felt proud of his love, he smiled and bent down to lay a soft, chaste kiss on those rosy lips.

Harry sighed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck to pull him down and deepen the kiss.

Tom pulled Harry flush against his chest, his hand resting on Harry’s nape as he continued to lick the inside of his love’s mouth, making Harry moan softly and tug the curls at the base of his neck. He could do this for eternity and still he would want more of Harry.

Tom reluctantly broke the kiss and brushed his forehead with Harry’s.

“We have to leave, darling,” Tom panted against Harry’s mouth, “remember, today is your uncle’s engagement.”

Harry let out a laugh at that. “Yes. yes.” He looked up at Tom and caressed his cheek, a soft smile appearing on his face. “You have no idea how much I love you, Tom.”

Tom covered Harry’s hand with his and brought their entwined hands to his mouth to press a soft kiss on the palm of Harry’s hand. “I know Harry. I know.”

Lily, Severus and James were not impressed in the least to see Harry and Tom arrive so late.

“Both of you are so annoying,” Severus grumbled as he smacked Harry lightly on the head, making the raven haired boy grin sheepishly. “You are lucky I care for you so much, Harry.” Harry blinked innocently at Severus and his mother, making the two adults roll their eyes and ruffle Harry’s hair.

Harry smiled to himself and glanced at Tom who was being berated by his grandparents and his father. He felt his heart fill with warmth as he saw the lazy grin on his husband’s face.

They will never be sad again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was a good read!
> 
> Also if it wasn't clear, James and Lily were Harry's parents in his previous life too, when he was Harry Deforest. James had been born as a muggle woman, Harry's mother, while Lily was born as a man, Harry's Pureblood father. Their roles were reversed. 
> 
> Another thing, Tom didn't know Grindelwald had the Elder Wand. And, even if he did know, he would've still done what he did. The wand killed Harry and he wanted nothing to do with it. That's why the wand's magic crackled in air when Tom broke it.
> 
> Come and say hi on [Tumblr](https://astharoshebarvon.tumblr.com/)


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